]]>APPLE. Tim Cook tells employees the company is donating $2 million to fight hate groups: “Cook sent a memo to employees Wednesday pledging the donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. The Montgomery, Alabama based SPLC is one of the leading groups that track the rise of hate groups. Cook is an Alabama native. Apple is also encouraging employees to contribute as well, and is matching their payments by two to one through Sept. 30. Additionally, Apple is setting up a system in Apple’s iTunes software to let consumers directly donate to the SPLC, which Cook said would be operational within the next few days.”

TRUMP ON NAZIS. 67 percent of Republicans back him: “He gets majority disapproval overall for his response to the events, while most Republicans approve. Republicans interviewed following Tuesday’s press conference also feel Mr. Trump is assigning blame accurately in the matter, while Democrats and Independents, and the country overall, disagree.”

DANA NESSEL. Lawyer who fought state’s ban on same-sex marriage running for Michigan Attorney General. “Dana Nessel, a Democrat from Plymouth, became the first candidate to enter the race to succeed Republican Bill Schuette, who vigorously defended the 2004 voter-approved ban and is expected to run for governor. She announced her campaign alongside her wife, their two children and supporters in an area of Ann Arbor where Nessel celebrated two years ago with clients Jayne Rowse and April DeBoer in the aftermath of their victory at the U.S. Supreme Court.”

INDIANA. Man accused in fatal beating of gay Afghanistan veteran gets 65 years in prison: “Authorities said Davis-Martin attacked the South Bend veteran with a bar stool after being told by a third party that Henderson had romantic feelings for Davis-Martin. Henderson was found in January 2016 lying in the street near a home that Davis-Martin shared with his mother. He died of multiple blunt-force and chop injuries.”

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/dana-nessel/feed/0Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Deliberately Infecting Partners With HIVhttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/prison-hiv/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/prison-hiv/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 17:30:05 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352616A 25-year-old man has been jailed for knowingly passing on the HIV virus to two former lovers. Based in Nottingham, England, Antonio Reyes-Minana had unprotected sex with two other men separately in 2008 and 2012. The men later discovered their HIV s… Read

“It has taken a long time to bring the case to court and we are pleased with the result today. The victims now have to live with a terminal illness. They gave evidence during the trial as Reyes-Minana had maintained his innocence but can at least find some comfort in knowing that their offender now has to take responsibility for what he’s done.

“We hope this raises awareness of this issue and how important it is to disclose such medical conditions.”

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman added that Reyes-Minana’s actions “will remain with his victims for the rest of their lives.”

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/prison-hiv/feed/0Michigan Gay Couple Lose Home, Dogs and Cats in Possible Hate Crime Arson Attackhttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/michigan-gay-arson/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/michigan-gay-arson/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 15:57:49 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352619Michigan police are investigating a fire at the home of a prominent LGBT activist as a possible hate crime. Police had already confirmed that the fire at the Jackson City home of Nikki Joly and Chris Moore was being investigated as arson. Joly is dir… Read

Michigan police are investigating a fire at the home of a prominent LGBT activist as a possible hate crime.

Police had already confirmed that the fire at the Jackson City home of Nikki Joly and Chris Moore was being investigated as arson. Joly is director of the Jackson Pride Center. The couple’s’ two dogs and three cats died in the fire.

According to Pride Source, a firefighter at the scene said it was “suspicious” how quickly the fire accelerated.

On August 11, Elmer Hitt, director of police and fire service, told MLive.com that an accelerant was used in the fire, which took more than three hours to extinguish.

He later confirmed that the type of accelerant used, current leads and information regarding threats of violence toward the LGBTQ community are “under investigation.”

Pride Source notes that an email from Jackson Area Landlord Association’s President Robert Tulloch to members of the city council warned that recent Pride celebrations represented “an in your face declaration of war” which “will be met with a violent response.”

“This,” added Tulloch, “IS the queer agenda.”

Friends have set up a You Caring campaign to fund a new home for the couple.

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/michigan-gay-arson/feed/0Trump Tweets That He’s Sad Beautiful Racist Confederate Monuments are Being Taken Downhttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/donald-trump-sad-racist-monuments-taken/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/donald-trump-sad-racist-monuments-taken/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 14:40:05 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352643On Twitter Thursday morning, Donald Trump lamented the removal of racist Confederate statues around the country: “Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments… Read

“Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You……..can’t change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson – who’s next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish! Also……the beauty that is being taken out of our cities, towns and parks will be greatly missed and never able to be comparably replaced!”

Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments. You…..

He also went after Lindsey Graham for correctly stating that Trump drew a moral equivalency between hate groups and those who protest them:

“Publicity seeking Lindsey Graham falsely stated that I said there is moral equivalency between the KKK, neo-Nazis & white supremacists………and people like Ms. Heyer. Such a disgusting lie. He just can’t forget his election trouncing.The people of South Carolina will remember! … The public is learning (even more so) how dishonest the Fake News is. They totally misrepresent what I say about hate, bigotry etc. Shame!”

Publicity seeking Lindsey Graham falsely stated that I said there is moral equivalency between the KKK, neo-Nazis & white supremacists……

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/donald-trump-sad-racist-monuments-taken/feed/0The ‘Putin Shirtless Challenge’ is Prompting Hundreds of Russian Men to Strip Down and Show Off: PHOTOShttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/russian-men-putin-shirtless-challenge/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/russian-men-putin-shirtless-challenge/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 14:14:30 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352639Following the recent publication of new photos of Vladimir Putin putting on an annual macho shirtless show in the Russian wilderness, Pavel Durov, the founder of the social networking sites VKontakte and Telegram, set up a challenge for his followers… Read

Wrote Durov: “My instagram had to seriously step up the game to keep up with the increased competition from Mr. Putin’s shirtless photos. If you’re Russian, you have to join #PutinShirtlessChallenge (or face oblivion). Two rules from Putin – no photoshop, no pumping. Otherwise you’re not an alpha.”

And his followers are stepping up to the challenge. Here are just a few:

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/russian-men-putin-shirtless-challenge/feed/0Tyler the Creator: I Had a Boyfriend at Age 15http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/tyler-boyfriend/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/tyler-boyfriend/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 13:43:11 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352634Rapper Tyler the Creator revealed that he had a boyfriend in his teens during an interview on Know Wave’s Koopz Tunes radio podcast. Said Tyler after the host suggests that he’s more open-minded than he’s been in the past: “I had a… Read

The most interesting takeaway from the leak is the album’s lyrics, which can be interpreted as Tyler coming out. As well as pointing out the album’s name itself perhaps being indicative of this, Twitter users highlighted bars such as, “I been kissing white boys since 2004″ on “I Ain’t Got Time,” and the album’s seventh track “Garden Shed,” featuring Estelle, where Tyler raps, “That was real love I was in, Ain’t no reason to pretend” before spitting “All my friends was lost / They couldn’t read the signs / I didn’t want to talk / I tell ’em my location and they ain’t want to walk” later on in the song.

Despite always being one to joke around and poke fun at himself, Tyler’s been playing around with his sexuality for years, with a Tweet back in 2015 seemingly affirming these notions.

I TRIED TO COME OUT THE DAMN CLOSET LIKE FOUR DAYS AGO AND NO ONE CARED HAHAHHAHAHA

Also, via Highsnobiety, here are the lyrics to Tyler’s first verse on “Garden Shed” referenced above. They suggest the garden shed is the closet, the Frank reference is Frank Ocean…

Ayo
Garden shed, garden shed, garden shed, garden shed
For the garden
That is what I was hiding
That is what love I was I in
Ain’t no reason to pretend
Garden shed, garden shed, garden shed
Garden shed for the garcons
Them feelings I was guarding
Heavy on my mind
All my friends lost
They couldn’t read the signs
I didn’t wanna talk and tell em’ my location
And I didn’t wanna walk
Truth is, since you kid, I thought it was a phase
Thought it would be like the Frank poof, gone
But, it’s still going on
Big fan of the base 10
Polk a dot nose how it goes
Had to keep it on the subwoofer
A couple butterflies when I float
I was always like ehhh
Barely interested, but I went to my boys like bruh
This is a crucial subject matter
Sensitive like cooking batter
‘Till the temperature that’s rising
Stepping on that ladder
Tryna grab the rings of Saturn
I’m a plant it by the time you hear this
Chittin’ chatter bout to heat it
It will not fucking matter

Tyler told NME at the time: “I’m not homophobic. I just think ‘faggot’ hits and hurts people. It hits. And ‘gay’ just means you’re stupid. I don’t know, we don’t think about it, we’re just kids. We don’t think about that shit. But I don’t hate gay people. I don’t want anyone to think I’m homophobic.”

Tyler also told MTV News, in response to the controversy: “Well, I have gay fans and they don’t really take it offensive, so I don’t know. If it offends you, it offends you…If you call me a n—a, I really don’t care, but that’s just me, personally. Some people might take it the other way; I personally don’t give a sh–.”

”That’s just a word, you can take the power out of that word. The way that I see things, it’s you chose to be offended if you care more about stuff like that. And that might sound very ignorant, but if you’re a black person and someone calls you the n-word and you get offended, maybe you might be. But if I know that I’m not a n-word…I’m not gonna get offended because I know that I’m not that. Frank [Ocean] is gay and I use that word all the time. He doesn’t care because he knows me. He knows when I say that word I’m not thinking of someone’s sexual orientation. It’s just another word that has no meaning.”

In 2015, Tyler began selling a t-shirt on his website under his ‘Golf Wang’ fashion label intended to make a statement against homophobia by appropriating a white supremacist symbol and coloring it with a rainbow.

It was a period in time where all i wanted to do was read about different dictators across the world. The way that one man could control so many brains always intrigued me. This opened a door to a lot of things, one of them being the Nazi regime during the 40s. Soaking my brain with as much info as i could on the subject, i pondered to myself if there was anyone still pushing this Nazi propaganda during these days? That is when i came across Neo-Nazis, The Ku Klux Klan and The White Nationalist Community. To make it simple, its just a group of Caucasians who take pride in being white. Nothing wrong with that correct? But the weird thing is that its primarily supported by White Supremacist organizations.( KKK, Aryan Nation, Etc) Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that these guys aren’t fans of Blacks, Gays, Asians or anything else that doesn’t fit in “white” box.

Now having the thought process that i have, i asked myself some questions: What if a black guy wore this logo on a shirt? Would he be promoting self hate? Would he be taking the power out of a shape? What if a gay guy wore this on a shirt? Would he promoting Homophobia? Then BAM! I Had it. Throw a little rainbow in the logo ( i still wonder, who was the guy that said a rainbow is the gay symbol? thats another article stay tuned) and take a photo with a white guy in it and we have an amazing photo. The thing that tops it off is the homo erotic tone of the hand holding, which to some degree HAS to piss off the guys who takes this logo serious. This made the photo even more important to me, because it was me playing with the idea of taking the power out of something so stupid. Or maybe my whole idea on this is stupid. Who knows, but why not try it out?

Also, ever since my career started, ive been labeled as a homophobe, simply because of my use of the word faggot. Again, trying to take the power out of something, I WAS NEVER REFERRING TO SOMEONES SEXUAL PREFERENCE WHEN USING THAT WORD. I mean, i’m legit one of the least homophobic guys to walk this earth but, most people just read the surface. But maybe someone will see this photo and say “ hey, he’s just mocking gays” or “ this has a negative undertone to it, he is still pushing this homophobic whatever the f–k it is”. What ever it is, i just wanted to give you guys some background info on the design before you purchase the shirt. You should know what you are wearing. be safe, love. RACISM F–KING SUCKS golfwang.com

Here’s what Tyler said about a gay rapper to Larry King in 2014:

Twitter also joined the speculation about whether Tyler was coming out or just trolling:

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/tyler-boyfriend/feed/0Seth Meyers Unleashes ‘Fire and Fury’ on the Unmasked President: Trump is a ‘Lying Racist’ — WATCHhttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/seth-meyers-trump-racist/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/seth-meyers-trump-racist/#respondThu, 17 Aug 2017 12:49:39 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352626President Trump’s unimaginable press conference Tuesday, where he again claimed that white supremacist protesters and counter-protesters were to blame for tensions in Virginia, continued to dominate the news Wednesday. On NBC’s Late Night Wednesday,… Read

President Trump’s unimaginable press conference Tuesday, where he again claimed that white supremacist protesters and counter-protesters were to blame for tensions in Virginia, continued to dominate the news Wednesday. On NBC’s Late Night Wednesday, comedian Seth Meyers took a closer look at the mounting controversy over Trump’s comments and determined that the president has shown us…

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/seth-meyers-trump-racist/feed/0David Mixner: Don’t Move Confederate Monuments — Take Them Down!http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/confederate-monuments/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/confederate-monuments/#respondWed, 16 Aug 2017 22:36:29 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352613Recently at a dinner party I attended there was a civilized debate about the famous monuments around the country glorifying the Confederacy and its leaders. A few people expressed concerned that moving monuments is rewriting history and a case of pol… Read

Recently at a dinner party I attended there was a civilized debate about the famous monuments around the country glorifying the Confederacy and its leaders. A few people expressed concerned that moving monuments is rewriting history and a case of political correctness gone wild.

The truth is that we are rewriting history and replacing it with an honest look at the trials and tribulations of our young republic. Because of segregation and racism over the years, American history has literally been ‘white-washed’. America is a great and good nation but a nation that must honestly confront its past in order to build for the future.

Monuments occupy places of honor in our local communities. They are placed in our town squares to inspire future generations and to share stories of individual excellence and courage.

The President claims he likes facts. Mr. President, the facts are clear. Military leaders and political leaders who supported the Confederacy were people who committed treason against the United States of America. They committed that treachery to continue the deadly and torturous practice of slavery. Their sedition led to a civil war in America that killed over 600,000 of our citizens. In today’s numbers that would be close to six million killed.

Monuments extolling the virtues of General Lee, Stonewall Jackson and others have no place in our town squares. These so-called heroes betrayed our country to defend a policy of human bondage that resulted in the death of over two million in the North Atlantic slave trade. You can’t sanitize their subversion and the reasons for it.

Can you imagine walking in Berlin and seeing a statue of Hitler in the center of the city since he was a key part of German history?

As a member of the LGBTQ community I don’t want to be confronted by a monument of Senator Jessie Helms of North Carolina. The former senator was one of the main architects of the policy that led to the deaths of thousands upon thousands of gay men from AIDS.

American history is not easy for any of us. It is filled with pain, failed policies, genocide and outrages. Ignoring our more painful moments will ensure we will only repeat them. Our difficult history must be shared so that we can indeed move forward as a nation to that more perfect union as a united people.

The monuments should be built for Americans like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Congressman John Lewis, Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk, Edie Windsor and so many others who have inspired this nation with their courage and principles.

As Maya Angelou wrote: “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if we face it with courage, need not be lived again.”

“When the Trayvon Martin case happened, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and all these different things happened, every single case it’s some little black asshole behaving like a savage, and he gets himself in trouble, shockingly enough. Whatever problems I might have with my fellow white people, they generally are not inclined to such behavior — and, you know, you gotta kinda take that into consideration when you’re thinking about how to organize your society.”

SOLANGE KNOWLES. Singer quits Twitter: “F*ck white supremacist. F*ck nazis. F*ck your stale ass bland ass monuments. F*ck asking folks to be graceful.. My son’s first day of school has been in the midst of seeing these bulls**t images that still tell him this system was built to be against him. How mofos supposed to have a fresh start with education, seeing this s**t? Thinking about demanding he not be required to take ‘American History’ because its deep dark rooted ugliness continues to live right now, right before our eyes.”

THE TERMS OF MY SURRENDER. Michael Moore leads Broadway audience to Trump protest: “After the play, the 63-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker, commentator and liberal activist is seen on a Facebook Live video leading a group of people on buses to the tower, where the president is currently staying for the first time since his inauguration. Moore was joined by actor Mark Ruffalo.”

VE SCHWAB. Russian publisher cuts entire gay scene from book: “It is now common practice for foreign novelists writing books containing LGBT characters and stories to find their work shrinkwrapped in plastic and given an 18-plus rating in Russia, in order to comply with the law, which brings fines for individuals and organisations who break it. Schwab’s Russian publisher, Rosman, took a different approach: cutting a flirtatious scene in the second novel in the series – in which two male characters are reunited after three years apart – down to just a few lines.”

The Russian edition of Shades of Magic has been my favorite. This week I learned that they redacted the entire queer plot w/out permission.

PUSSIES. Defense Secretary James Mattis praises troops: “You’ll miss it like the dickens, and you’ll be changed for the better for the rest of your life. So you’ll never regret, but you will have some of the best days of your life and some of the worst days of your life in the U.S. Navy, you know what I mean? That says — that means you’re living. That means you’re living. That means you’re not some p—- sitting on the sidelines, you know what I mean, kind of sitting there saying, ‘Well, I should have done something with my life.’ ”

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/baltimore-confederate-statues/feed/0Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Bawls on Camera After Learning There’s a Warrant for His Arrest: WATCHhttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/christopher-cantwell/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/christopher-cantwell/#respondWed, 16 Aug 2017 18:33:50 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352596Charlottesville Neo-Nazi Christopher Cantwell sobbed in a video he posted to social media after learning there’s a warrant out for his arrest. Raw Story reports: He kept breaking off to wipe away tears, saying, “I don’t know what to do. I need… Read

According to “Fatto Quotidiano,” an Italian daily newspaper, the sign appeared in the Tenuta Le Camporelle of Cavallino and was reported by the Associazione LeA (Liberamente e Apertamente), an LGBT rights group.

The owner of the hotel, however, said that the sign is rather old and that it was covered previously, but someone removed the covering, which is when the outrage began.

An Italian news website “The Local” said that the owner also claimed the “gay” sign would be painted over.

In response to the sign, LeA released the following statement, “The Local “reported:

“It is frankly shocking that in 2017 there are still cases of this kind, where there is a great confusion between gender identity and sexual orientation and it is flaunted by communications in such a misleading and homophobic manner in public places, which only humiliates and hurts people.”

The outrage comes just days after a same-sex couple was reportedly intimidated by a life guard after hugging in a pool in Caserta, Italy, “The Local” also reported.

Rainbow Europe, funded by the European Union and created by the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Intersex Association, in May ranked Italy 32nd among 49 European countries in terms of LGBT rights and recognitions.

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/gay-bathroom-sign/feed/0Trump Dissolves Advisory Councils After One Decides to Disband, and Top Corporate Leaders Abandon Himhttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/inge-thulin-trump/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/inge-thulin-trump/#respondWed, 16 Aug 2017 16:48:03 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352582UPDATE: Trump has dissolved his advisory councils after multiple exits from top executives and a decision by the Strategic and Policy Forum to disband in the wake of Trump’s support for white supremacist groups. Trump responded by announcing he… Read

UPDATE: Trump has dissolved his advisory councils after multiple exits from top executives and a decision by the Strategic and Policy Forum to disband in the wake of Trump’s support for white supremacist groups.

Trump responded by announcing he was dissolving both his councils.

Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!

Inge Thulin, the President and CEO of 3M, said on Wednesday that he’s leaving Donald Trump’s Manufacturing Advisory Council after Trump drew a moral equivalency between neo-Nazis and people who protest them.

Sustainability, diversity and inclusion are my personal values and also fundamental to the 3M Vision. The past few months have provided me with an opportunity to reflect upon my commitment to these values.

I joined the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative in January to advocate for policies that align with our values and encourage even stronger investment and job growth – in order to make the United States stronger, healthier and more prosperous for all people. After careful consideration, I believe the initiative is no longer an effective vehicle for 3M to advance these goals. As a result, today I am resigning from the Manufacturing Advisory Council.

At 3M, we will continue to champion an environment that supports sustainability, diversity and inclusion. I am committed to building a company that improves lives in every corner of the world.

Tweeted Aiken: “Remember all those times I defended @realDonaldTrump and believed he was not actually racist? Well… I am a f*****g dumbass. #imsorry…TBC… I’ve always thought he would be a dumpster fire as a president, and I was right about that. I just didn’t think he was racist. #wrong“

Remember all those times I defended @realDonaldTrump and believed he was not actually racist? Well… I am a f*****g dumbass. #imsorry

]]>http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/clay-aiken-trump/feed/0Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush Release Joint Statement Reacting to Neo-Nazi Rallyhttp://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/bush-statement-charlottesville/
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/08/bush-statement-charlottesville/#respondWed, 16 Aug 2017 16:13:01 +0000http://www.towleroad.com/?p=352574Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush released a joint statement on Wednesday in response to the neo-Nazi and white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. Said the former presidents: “America must always reject racial bigotry, an… Read

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush released a joint statement on Wednesday in response to the neo-Nazi and white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.

Said the former presidents:

“America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms. As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city’s most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country.”

Calls for the five living presidents – the Bushes, Carter, Clinton, and Obama – to release a joint statement spread on social media shortly after the weekend’s hate rally.

All 5 living Presidents should release a joint statement about the country’s unequivocal opposition to Nazism. Immediately #charlottesville